TOMATO RICOTTA PASTA RECIPES

Steps:

• If using fresh spinach, bring 3 quarts water to boil, salt it and wilt spinach 1 minute, then drain and rinse to cool, pat dry and chop
•  Or, if using defrosted frozen spinach, wring dry in dish towel
•  Refill pot with 5 quarts water and bring to boil for pasta
• Listicle: Rachael Ray 12
• 5-Inch Deep Frying Pan with Helper Handle In a deep skillet over medium heat, add EVOO, 2 turns of the pan
• Add butter and melt, then add garlic and swirl a minute
• Add tomatoes, season with salt and soften 8 to 10 minutes until slumped
• Wilt in basil and reduce heat to low
•   In a bowl, combine spinach, ricotta, cream, herbs, salt and black or red pepper and stir
•     Salt boiling water and cook pasta 1 minute less than package directions
•  Just before draining, add ½ cup of the boiling salted pasta water to ricotta and ½ cup to sauce
• Toss drained pasta with ricotta mixture
•  Serve family style or in individual shallow bowls and top with fresh tomato sauce
•     

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Put the spinach and a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over a low heat. Add the nutmeg, season with sea salt and black pepper, cover and leave to sweat. Help the kids to stir it occasionally until the spinach has cooked down. Place in a bowl and set to one side to cool a little.
  2. Dice the onion and squash the garlic. In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil and gently sweat the onion until soft.
  3. Scrunch in the tomatoes through your clean hands and add the garlic and bay leaf. Pick in a few basil leaves and grate in the zest of the lemon half, then let it gently simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Have the kids squeeze the moisture out of the spinach into the bowl. Place the spinach on a board so you can chop it up. Return the spinach to the liquid in the bowl.
  5. Beat the egg and grate 2 teaspoons of Parmesan cheese. Get the kids to stir the ricotta, egg and Parmesan into the spinach. Season to taste.
  6. Sit a piping bag in a jug, fold its edges over the rim, then spoon in the spinach mixture. Have the kids help pipe the mixture into the cannelloni tubes and lay them in a 20cm x 25cm oven dish.
  7. Spread the tomato sauce over the cannelloni. Pick the remaining basil leaves and scatter most of them over the tomato sauce. Slice the mozzarella and lay the slices on top, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and season.
  8. Place in the oven and cook for 35 to 40 minutes or till the top is golden and the pasta tender (if the top browns too fast, cover the dish with foil). Remove from the oven and let stand for a few minutes before serving with the remaining basil leaves.